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This photo was published in the [Philadelphia] Evening Public Ledger., September 27, 1920, NIGHT EXTRA, Image 26. She was sponsor of the steamship Nora, launched at the New York Shipbuilding yard the previous Saturday. The Nora is number 257 in the list of ships built by New York Shipbuilding at newyorkship.org/ships/. The Library of Congress has a picture of her under construction: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b39171 The Nora became the F.W. Abrams. See www.aukevisser.nl/inter/id108.htm "Oil tanker (Grace Steamship Co., Inc.), 13,000 grt, 98000 barrels. Named for daughter of J.P. Grace." Lillius Margarita Kent , born 1910, was the daughter of Lillius Juanita Kent, whose maiden name was Grace. See www.geni.com/people/Lillius-Kent/6000000024277262686 Nora, also born 1910, would be www.geni.com/people/Nora-Grace/6000000017251484418 and Lillius and Nora would have been cousins. Nora's father and Lillius' mother were siblings.

There's an interesting difference in the spelling of Miss Kent's first name. Early records show her as "Lillius," spelled the same as her mother. Later records and articles show her as "Lilias." She apparently married James Knott in January 1933. See: New York Times - January 11, 1933 - LILIAS KENT WED TO JAMES KNOTT; Granddaughter of the Late W. R. Grace Becomes Bride in Church Ceremony. She'd later marry Frederick Moseley Jr. See: New York Times - March 11, 1989 - Obituary - Frederick Moseley Jr., 75, Former Banker "He is survived by his wife, the former Lilias Kent Knott; three sons. . ."

TVL1970 : You beat me to it! I had found the Moseley obituary and a different piece about her marriage to James Knott. According to fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2018/New%20York%20NY%20Sun/Ne... she married James Knott in 1933 and was described as having been "Miss Lilias Kent."

Here's more on the June 11, 1942 sinking of SS F.W. Abrams (ex - SS Nora). It seems due to poor weather and navigation, she entered a minefield laid by the US Navy approximately 10 miles south of Hatteras Inlet, and struck a mine resulting in her demise. Her wreck rests 80 feet below the Atlantic Ocean, and is a popular dive destination. See: Dive Hatteras - F.W. Abrams

Link of the Evening public ledger., September 27, 1920, NIGHT EXTRA, Image 26, cited by swanq above: chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045211/1920-09-27/ed-... From www.aukevisser.nl/inter/id108.htm: "The tanker Nora, named after Nora Grace, daughter of Joseph P. Grace, president of the William R. Grace Steamship Company, was launched at the north yard of the New York Shipbuilding Corporation September 18 (1920). The sponsor was eleven-year-old Lilias Kent, niece of President Grace." (which confirms the statements of swanq )

John T. Pratt  (John Teele Pratt) (1873-1927) was a son of Charles Pratt (1830-1891) and his second wife Helen Richardson (Mary Helen Richardson) (1839-1907).  He graduated from Amherst College and Harvard Law School.

He was an industrialist with Standard Oil Co. and a philanthropist. In 1917, perhaps the time this photo was in the news, Mr. Pratt went to Washington and established the National Budget Commission. He urged a national budget system before the House Appropriations Committee who adopted it.
During the later part of 1918, he served as a Major in the American Red Cross at Paris.

He married Ruth Sears Baker (1877-1965). Mrs. Ruth Baker Pratt was the first woman to represent New York City on the Board of Alderman and later the first woman to represent New York in Congress (17th Congressional District 1929-33.)

They had three daughters and two sons: Mrs. Virginia Thayer (1905-1979),  Mrs. Sally Jackson (Sally Sears Pratt) (1908-1973),  Mrs. Phyllis Nitze (1912-1987),  Edwin Baker Pratt (Edwin Howard Baker Pratt) (1913-1975), and John T. Pratt, Jr. (John Teele Pratt, Jr.) (1903-1969)   [1] [2] [3] [4]

                Major John T. Pratt (4th from left) with the staff of the Army and Navy Department, American Red Cross, in front of the Gambetta statue, Paris, Nov. 1918.  LOC

The photographer of John T. Pratt's portrait, Joseph G. Gessford (Joseph Gaylord Gessford) (1866-1942) began his career at age seventeen with the Prince Studios in Washington, DC.  He came to New York in 1892 and established a studio in Union Square, and later moved to Fifth Avenue at Thirty-fifth Street. Gessford photographed New York's elite, and had a branch studio in the Berkshires (Lee, Massachusetts) where he photographed the elite at play. He took well-known photographs of Andrew Carnegie, George Westinghouse, Mark Twain, Buffalo Bill (Cody) and Theodore Roosevelt (view Roosevelt at The Library of Congress here.) There's an interesting back story about Mark Twain not wanting to pay the photographer as, after all, Twain had allowed Gessford to photograph him. (sigh) some things never change ;)   [1] [2]     LOC - add Gessford as creator/contributor?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Teele_Pratt

The S.O.C. pennant on the lifebelt (see note) might represent Standard Oil Company, the owners of the JOHN ENA from 1916 - 1919, according to this website - www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Ships/Fourmast_ships/John_Ena(1892).html [edit - link fixed] Which suggests a date of May 1916 - does that fit in with the clothing? The JOHN ENA delivered a load of oil to Melbourne and then Sydney. trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/28783328 trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/28783325

beachcomber australia I think we can fairly safely assume this was taken in Sydney because the Hood photographs generally were. If we assume this, then this date is most likely the correct one, unless this photograph was taken in Newcastle in which case the date is earlier. I'm not great with men's clothing unfortunately, but my first impression of these images was that they were taken in the 1900s. Here's the research I have summarised:

JOHN ENA visited Australia numerous times throughout its career. In June 1895 it visited Port Germein in South Australia and visited the state again in December 1898 and June 1903. During its September 1895 visit to Newcastle, New South Wales, 12 seamen from the barque were charged with 'combining to disobey lawful commands'. They were sentenced to seven days' imprisonment with hard labour in Maitland Gaol. During its second visit to Newcastle in June 1901, one of the crew, Charlie Solinas committed suicide. At 11:23am on 16 May 1916, JOHN ENA arrived in Sydney from Melbourne with a load of oil from San Francisco. Another visit to Australia was made in 1919.
Apart from these, I couldn't see any other visits to Australia.

Also, an interesting report: nla.gov.au/nla.news-article95247262

EDIT: Check these out

Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons Oh dear! That 1919 date of the photo-of-the-painting upsets things a bit ...

beachcomber australia Not necessarily, the photographs still could've been taken in 1916. Though I think, if we were to be on the safe side, we could put a date of 1916-1919.

A lovely photo! It was a recent winner in one of our photo colorization polls. Check it out!